The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle in the event of a side impact to the vehicle and/or a vehicle rollover.
It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is an inflatable curtain that inflates from the roof of the vehicle downward inside the passenger compartment in the event of a side impact or a vehicle rollover. The inflatable curtain, when inflated, is positioned between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle. A known inflatable curtain is inflated by inflation fluid directed from an inflator to the inflatable curtain through a fill tube.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof. The apparatus includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable away from the vehicle roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. An inflation fluid source provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device includes overlying panels interconnected to form a perimeter connection extending along a perimeter of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The perimeter is partially defined by upper and lower edges of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device and front and rear portions spaced apart along the upper and lower edges.
The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device also includes at least one connection that interconnects the overlying panels within the perimeter. The connection helps to define at least one inflatable front chamber located in the front portion, at least one inflatable rear chamber located in the rear portion, and at least one inflatable middle chamber located between the front and rear chamber. The front and rear chambers each have an inflation fluid inlet positioned near the upper edge of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device and an inflation fluid outlet located near the lower edge of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The middle chamber has at least one inflation fluid inlet positioned near the lower edge of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device and is free from inflation fluid inlets near the upper edge of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.
The inflation fluid inlets direct inflation fluid from the inflation fluid source into the front and rear chambers. The inflation fluid outlets direct inflation fluid from the front and rear chambers into the inflation fluid inlet of said middle chamber to inflate the middle chamber.